


elseworld

by Vallern



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-10-11 16:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10469298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vallern/pseuds/Vallern
Summary: It's supposed to be just another day of protecting Lena Luthor from her brother's goons, but everything goes to hell when they get sucked into a portal to another universe instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came from [CalmSurrender](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalmSurrender) when she was talking to me about reading Harry Potter and The Cursed Child and how gay it is. (Is it?) She was talking about time travel and somehow I'm thinking about Supercorp (what a surprise) but instead of time travel, they're traveling to another universe. In short, this part of the note doesn't really have anything to do with the story, but I'm dedicating this for her anyway. Look! Here's your shout out!
> 
> Also, I'm firmly on the "Lena is not 24" side so don't be confused if I refer to her as 'the older woman' because really, show, 24? She has the foxy vibe of a young sugar mommy in her late 20s or early 30s yet you want to make her 24? Unacceptable. Ignored.
> 
> Beta'd by the awesome [koalabear77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalabear77).

Everything hurts; not so surprising when you get shot by yet another piece of alien tech.

 

Kara groans quietly, feeling her head pounding from either the effect of the alien tech or because she fell twenty feet to the ground without preparation. Alien or not, falling face first to the concrete _hurts_.

 

She opens her eyes and lifts her head slightly to see a web of cracks around her. She feels a stab of shame because of all the property damage she caused yet again. It's a surprise National City hasn't declared her a natural disaster yet. Cause of destruction: Supergirl happens often enough it makes her the leading cause of destruction other than fire, and even if she tries to minimize the collateral damage, sometimes it's hard. It's not like she can ask her opponents to be gentle when they slam her into a building.

 

When she tries to get up, she feels like there's a dead weight on top of her back that makes it hard to breathe.

 

... Wait, there _is_ a dead weight on her back.

 

When Kara turns her head more so she can see clearly what the hell is on her back, she nearly chokes when she sees a mass of black hair atop an unmoving body.

 

"Oh my God, Lena!"

 

It's all starting to come back now. There was a call from DEO stating that there were armed assailants in L-Corp. Again. Honestly, can't Lex and Lillian see that Lena is under her protection? This is starting to get old, and even Lena isn't so shocked anymore when someone makes an attempt on her life. She just raises her eyebrows and sighs deeply because rebuilding the lobby and replacing the big L-Corp sign is a big pain in the ass when she has to do it monthly.

 

Kara (as Supergirl) helped a few times with the construction because she's a one-woman army, and she cut the time needed by half, but Lena gently asked her to stop because she was distracting the workers, and it wasn't her job to single-handedly rebuild L-Corp, and she had other things to do other than standing around in Lena's office like stopping a robbery or thwarting a kidnapping. Kara insisted it was her fault for being thrown around (or being the one doing the throwing) and destroying everything, but a raised eyebrow from Lena shut her up.

 

At least she got a free lunch and a kiss on her cheek from Lena that day. It was nice. She thinks Lena also squeezed her arm longer than what was appropriate, but she was too distracted by the fact that the young Luthor had just pressed her lips to Kara's cheek.

 

She had nearly clipped a building when she turned a corner, still dazed from earlier, and her stomach felt funny. She blamed it on the ten large pizzas Lena ordered for her. Clark was right, ten minutes of digestion before flying or she'd throw up.

 

Where is she? Right, armed assailants in L-Corp. Masked men started to act all menacing with their toys, calling for Lena, yada, yada. Unfortunately, Lena was downstairs at that time, having just gotten back from a working lunch with some of her many lawyers, Plimpton and Whitefeather. Kara saw Plimpton once in passing when she got back to CatCo after lunch with Lena at L-Corp a few months ago, and she hated him instantly. He was suspiciously good looking in ways that normal people are not, and the fact that apparently he and Lena knew each other because their parents often brought them to parties together when they were kids made Kara accidentally destroy her pen.

 

So when the masked men started to deliver the theatrical diatribe (written by the same person, probably, because they all sound the same. The writer in Kara bristled at the misuse of the word 'affect' and 'effect' rather than listening to their threats.), she burst in to protect Lena... well okay, Lena and her employees, save the day, and maybe get another kiss from the woman.

 

She doesn't know why she wants the older woman to kiss her again, but whatever. If Clark can get a kiss and then some from Lois, why can't she get it from Lena? Maybe it’s weird for wanting her alter ego to get a kiss from her friend, but it’s not like Kara is big on normal anyway.

 

No one is surprised when one of the men pulled a complicated looking gun thing from his backpack, and Kara barely blinked before she planted herself in front of Lena, ready to protect her from the baddies of the week.

 

But she was certainly surprised when instead of bullets or a laser or any other projectile, the gun fired a portal instead and sucked Kara and the unlucky Lena behind her into the portal.

 

It wasn't even ominous looking like a black hole or a demon's gate. It was more like portals you created in that one platform game that Alex always raved about, round and tinged with orange around it.

 

Yet, here they are.

 

She moves slowly as to not jostle Lena. Humans are fragile, and they just fell from the equivalent of two stories, not to mention Lena fell face first onto her back, which is the same as crashing into an immovable wall, so she's pretty sure Lena isn't well. Hopefully she's not injured, but who knows.

 

A quick glance with her X-ray vision eases her worries. Lena doesn't have any internal injuries, but she must be hurting all over. How come the portal dropped them outside, anyway? Thank God they're not in the middle of a congested street, but they're in some deserted part of the city that Kara sort of remembers from when she patrols the city as Supergirl.

 

She cradles Lena's unmoving body and moves her long black hair from her face. Even unconscious, Lena is so, so beautiful it makes Kara's heart ache sometimes. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows, her long eyelashes, her vivid green eyes that Kara's still not sure aren't made of Kryptonite, her sharp cheekbones and jawline that Kara is sure can cut glass, her full lips that look really kissable—

_Wow, Danvers, way to be a creep. Stop ogling your friend and wake her up._

 

Kara shakes her head and calls out softly. "Lena?"

 

No response.

 

"Lena, wake up."

 

Still no response.

 

"Lenaaaaa."

 

Nope, nothing.

 

Kara shakes Lena's shoulder as gently as she can. "Lena, wake up, come on."

 

That does the trick. The other woman starts to twitch, and her eyes start to flutter open. "Ugh... what..."

 

"Hey, welcome back." Kara gives her a crooked grin. "How are you feeling? You were unconscious after you literally fell on top of me."

 

"That explains why I feel like I just did ten rounds with The Rock." She groans and closes her eyes. "What happened?"

 

"Your brother's goons attacked and one of them shot us with some kind of portal gun? I don't know. But now we're outside, for some reason."

 

Lena's eyes snap open. "Portal? Was it tinged with orange around it?"

 

"Yeah, why?" Kara frowns.

 

"Oh Christ on a pogo stick," Lena growls. "That's Lex alright."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Back when things weren't too bad and he wasn't blinded by his desire to kill your cousin—" Lena sighs deeply, "—we were once just regular brother and sister, you know? We read, played video games, and created mayhem together. One day, we played the first Portal game together and he had an idea for a portal gun. I liked that, so we bounced ideas back and forth until one day, we had a brilliant idea of making it ourselves. We snuck into one of the labs and we started to develop it." Lena smiled nostalgically, but Kara couldn't help but notice the sadness behind her eyes. "It was fun, and I got to do that with my brother, whose intelligence I always admired. We were closer than ever at that time. We felt like we were on top of the world since the portal gun's development ran very smoothly. Can you imagine having portals everywhere? Who needs to drive when you can just pop out everywhere?" Her smile disappears. "But then Superman appeared and, well, the rest is history. I forgot about the portal gun ever since I locked it up along with the rest of Lex's projects. Someone somehow must've gotten into it and modified it, since I didn't see the second portal anywhere."

 

"Your mother?" Kara murmurs softly, not wanting to upset the other woman further.

 

"She probably took it, and Lex modified it. Damn it, why can't they be imprisoned in Belle Reve instead? Normal prison, maximum security or not, can be broken into. Or depending on the system, you can just go in and out." She frowns deeply and Kara really wants to smooth the crease between those perfect eyebrows.

 

"I thought the Joker blew up Belle Reve a few months ago?"

 

"Right, point taken. But where, then? Litchfield?"

 

"What, and then your mother starts to run a used panties business from behind bars?"

 

"Please, Mother wouldn't do that. She'd deem it 'too undignified.'" Kara doesn't know how someone can make air quotes by eyebrows, but Lena just did that. "Lex, on the other hand..."

 

"Ew!"

 

"Ball sweat," she mock-whispers.

 

Kara grimaces. "Okay, that was one of the most scarring mental images I ever had, and my planet got destroyed."

 

At that, the mood grows somber. Kara's jaw tightens, and she stares ahead, not wanting Lena to see how it still affects her deeply, even until  now.

 

"Kara."

 

The woman in question nearly drops Lena. "What? I'm not... you're mistaken—"

 

"Kara, please, spare me. Lex tried to kill your cousin who knows how many times, and he left behind a mountain of information. He had a dossier on you, but you never really crossed his mind since he was too focused on Clark Kent. Besides, I don't even need that when your disguise is paper-thin like that. Glasses and ponytail, really?"

 

"Hey! I'll let you know that it's working well for me so far—" Kara shuts her mouth. Damn it. Damn Lena and her mesmerizing eyes and stupid smug smirk.

 

"When I found out that you're a Super, I was wary. But then you proved that you see me as Lena, not a Luthor, and you've been a good friend to me." She squeezes Kara's arm, and it dawns on Kara that they've been talking all this time with Kara kneeling on the cracked asphalt while cradling Lena. "So for what it's worth... thank you. For everything. For protecting us, for being the light in so many people's lives, and most of all, thank you for being my friend, Kara Zor-El. And I'm sorry that you had to come to Earth under those kinds of horrible circumstances. I can't even imagine losing everything I've ever known in one big bang. But I hope that... I hope that you consider Earth as your new home, even if we can't exactly fill the Krypton-sized hole in your heart." Lena squeezes Kara's arm harder, not that she can feel it.

 

If it's possible for a heart to be literally swelling after hearing such a heartfelt declaration, hers would be swelling with fondness and ache and longing mixed into one.

 

Kara can't find words adequate enough to say, so she leans down to kiss Lena's forehead tenderly, hoping it will be enough to convey all the feelings inside her to the human.

 

Lena's breath hitches when Kara's lips touch her soft skin, and her heartbeat goes crazy. Kara can faintly feel the brunette stroking her arm during the kiss.

 

Kara pulls away with something that feels like regret, but now is not the time or place to think about it. Lena is not safe being exposed like this, and who knows what those men might do to L-Corp's employees now that they're gone?

 

First thing first: get the hell out of here.

 

"Can you stand?"

 

"Let me try." She starts to sit up when her eyes get unfocused, and she winces deeply. "No, sorry. Everything really hurts and I'm really dizzy."

 

Worried, Kara scans her again with her vision. "You don't appear to be injured, but maybe you're still in shock?"

 

"Possibly." Lena bites her lip, and Kara's eyes are drawn to those lips, imagining what it feels like to bite—

 

"Kara, I don't want to be a burden, but could you at least carry me there?" Lena points to a bench not far from them. It's not ideal and still out in the open, but at least they won't be in the middle of the street anymore.

 

"Of course! Hold on." Kara lifts Lena gently, and she resists from using her super speed and walks instead to the bench.

 

They're sitting on the bench, well Kara is, Lena is lying down with her head on Kara's lap. The Kryptonian taps her comm a few times to reach Alex, but so far, no answer.

 

She doesn't like it. Silence rarely means anything good in her line of work.

 

"Still nothing?"

 

Kara shakes her head. "I have a bad feeling about this."

 

Lena reaches out to touch her chin. "Hey. Whatever it is, I'm sure they're fine. As for my employees and those men... well, I'm sure your people and the police have already dealt with it by now."

 

Kara closes her eyes and leans in to Lena's touch. "How are you so sure?"

 

"A certain reporter taught me about trust," she teases.

 

Warmth fills Kara's body. "I suppose I have to do what I said, huh?"

 

"Yeah, you do."

 

Kara feels disappointed when Lena withdraws her hand, but she shakes it off. "How are you feeling?"

 

"A bit better, thanks."

 

They're quiet for a while. Kara keeps trying to start her comm while Lena is looking at the sky. She considers giving up and just going straight to the DEO after making sure Lena is safe when the other woman tugs her arm.

 

"Kara?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Look at the billboard over there and tell me if you see it like I do."

 

Kara turns to follow the direction of Lena's finger to see a huge billboard of two women dancing. The one with dark curly hair, a scowl, and a suit is dipping another woman with long auburn hair and a gleeful, nearly manic expression on her face.

 

Beside them, there's a huge writing of ' **DON'T MISS PRESIDENT LINETTI AND FIRST LADY DIAZ ON THE FINAL OF DANCING WITH THE STARS NEXT WEEK** '.

 

"What the hell?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated for [the missus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalmSurrender). Cheer up, carrot ;_;
> 
> [koalabear77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalabear77) took one for the team and turned everything readable. She's the human equivalent of a glasses, if glasses could correct grammars.

Lena's head is still pounding thanks to falling face first on top of Kara earlier. While she wants to be on top of Kara, that wasn't quite what she meant, damn it.

 

Now her headache is back with double the force from seeing that billboard. Linetti and Diaz? Who the hell are they? Sounds like sitcom characters or something. Are they in different countries somehow?

 

"Uh, Lena? What is happening? Who are they?"

 

"That's what I want to know." She frowns. "Wait, are we even still in the National City?"

 

Kara squints her eyes. "I think so? I'm not used to seeing everything from the ground, so it looks different to me. I don't know."

 

"I see." She purses her lips. "Kara, I have a theory, and I can't really confirm it without looking at more evidences, but I have to ask you to refrain from using your powers for now. At least the more obvious ones."

 

"What? Why? I could fly you to my apartment or yours in under five minutes!"

 

"Just trust me on this, okay?"

 

After thinking it over for a few seconds, Kara nods. "Okay, then. What should we do?"

 

"If my theory is true, then we should be safe from those men for now, so we should look around for things."

 

"Wait, what things? And by walking around? In my suit?"

 

"Kara..."

 

"Yeah, I know, no flying, but won't people be weirded out if they see Supergirl walking around in broad daylight? It feels weird even to me."

 

"I suppose, but come on, it's National City and it's been two years since you came out. You can handle people taking pictures of you, right? As for people being weirded out... well, you can bench press a Lamborghini with your pinky and yet you look like a pretty cheerleader; I don't think the novelty will ever run out for us humans." Lena notes that Kara flushes a bit with her 'pretty cheerleader' comment even though she chooses not to comment and immediately feels pleased.

 

"I can, but what about you? I mean, they're still so wary of you, even after what you did for every aliens in this city... I don't like it."

 

"Kara, I'm a Luthor. My life is filled with camera flashes and intrusive questions. I can handle it." She chuckles. "Besides, a Luthor and a Super walking together? Might as well giving them something to talk about, and maybe it could help with my stocks."

 

"Ever the opportunist, Ms. Luthor." Kara laughs.

 

"I am, although it could backfire and people could accuse me of bewitching you with my charm." Lena is delighted when she sees Kara's cheeks turn a darker shade of pink.

 

"Yeah, right," she pretends to scoff.

 

"So you think I'm not charming?"

 

"What? No! I mean yes! You're really charming and amazing and brilliant and pretty and—"

 

"Well, Ms. Danvers, I never knew you think so highly of me," Lena purrs.

 

"I..." Kara clears her throat. "Of course I do. Is it so surprising?"

 

Now it's Lena's turn to blush. "A little."

 

"Why? Obviously you're all of it and then some—" She didn't know Kara's neck could turn red due to too much blushing until now. "Uh, anyway, you're not bewitching me! Let's go looking around for clues if you're feeling better already!" Kara abruptly changes the conversation and Lena is too amused to tease her even further, so she lets it slide this time.

 

"Okay, I think I can stand up now, but you'll help me, right?"

 

The blonde smiles slightly. "Like you need to ask."

 

* * *

 

Everything is so different.

 

Lena doesn't know if it's because they're in a strange part of the city or what, but everything feels wrong.

 

No one really bats an eye looking at them walking together, although Kara does get strange looks here and there thanks to her suit, but amazingly, no one comments or takes pictures or anything.

 

It's unsettling.

 

"Lena," Kara whispers. "I don't want to brag or anything, but why is there no one asking for my autograph or pictures? Usually when I'm not flying, everyone will mob me."

 

"Missing your popularity, Supergirl?"

 

Ignoring Lena's chuckle, Kara pouts. "You know what I mean. This is so weird. I thought we'd be surrounded the minute we stepped onto the busy street, but no one’s really looked at us..."

 

It is true. Everyone is so absorbed in their gadgets without paying attention to the odd duo of a Super and a Luthor together. If they were in National City, Lena is sure Cat Grant herself would be back to report their strange relationship.

 

"Kara." Lena nudges the taller woman. "Someone just left a newspaper on that bench. Let's go there and read it together."

 

"Good idea."

 

They sit together on the bench for the second time today, and Kara unfolds the newspaper.

**National City Post**

**March 27th, 2017**

**President Linetti's approval rating increased 20% since she declared First Lady Diaz's birthday a national holiday**

**Robot-human relationships are the new controversy since no one cares about gay marriage anymore**

**Dubstep is banned from Florida because it bothers the alligators**

**National City Convention Center almost caught fire yesterday because a cosplay enthusiast set suits on fire**

**Lex Luthor is spotted holding hands with Cat Grant at Raja Ampat beach**

"Kara... am I seeing this?"

 

"Since when does NCP wrote like The Onion?"

 

"No, look at the last part," she whispers. No. This is impossible.

 

"Where... holy crap!" Kara gasps when she rereads the headline. "Ms. Grant? With you brother? What the hell?!"

 

"Since when Lex is out of jail and dating Cat?" Lena feels the mother of all headaches coming. What is this place? This is so, so wrong. Her head is pounding, her chest feels constricted, and she can feel herself shaking.

 

"Lena, hey, look at me." Kara's hand touches hers and Lena is grateful for the grounding effect it makes. "I don't know what's going on, but we're in this mess together, and I will protect you, okay? From Lex and everything else in this strange world."

 

She gulps and smiles weakly at Kara. "Thank you. I don't know what I’d do if I was alone here."

 

"Me too. This is creepy." She bites her lip. "If Lex is here, do you think..." she trails off.

 

"Mother is here?"

 

The Kryptonian nods. "I'm not sure." Lena sighs deeply. "I don't know if I want to know, either. This is too much."

 

"Hey, at least you have me, so try to calm down, okay? We'll figure it out."

 

Lena looks at Kara's hand above hers and gathers all of her courage to clasp it. The younger woman lets her and even intertwines their fingers together, which makes her heart start to beat faster. She's sure Kara can hear her heartbeat going crazy loud and clear, but for the moment, she can't find it in herself to care. "Yeah, we will."

 

Kara smiles her Sunny Danvers smile and it lifts Lena's spirit for a bit. At least she's not alone, and she's with her favorite bubbly reporter slash superhero.

 

"So, do you want to tell me about your theory?" Kara asks, interrupting Lena's daydream about them holding hands while walking around the city.

 

"Right." She clears her throat. "I think we're in an alternate universe."

 

"Alternate universe? Isn't that a fanfic term? Or is it Tumblr? I always forgot."

 

"Fanfic—" Lena coughs and tries to bury her late night shame of writing self-insert fanfics of her and Supergirl. Thank God Kara can't read minds... right? "Well, I wouldn't know about that, but I think we have a lot of different selves walking different paths, so to speak, and it has a lot of variations. Maybe in one universe, you could be a singer in a glee club or a bomber's wife, while I could be a honeypot spy or a Victorian lady turned vampire."

 

"Hold on, why do you get to be a spy and a vampire while I have to be a singer and an accomplice of terrorism?!"

 

"That's what you got from my explanation?"

 

Kara rolls her eyes. "It's just unfair that you have cool roles like that."

 

"Kara, you can eat ten large pizzas without puking. That’s way cooler, and you actually have that ability."

 

"Right." Kara does a small fist pump with her free hand. "Take that, lady vampire!"

 

"Okay, glee singer."

 

"So anyway, I guess I get it since it's like when I had to go to Earth-1 to help The Flash—"

 

"Wait, Earth-1? _There are multiple Earths and you haven't told me?!_ "

 

"Hey, I didn't know you know about superheroes until an hour ago."

 

"Oh, right."

 

"Anyway, our Earth is Earth-38 and they have a lot of different superheroes over on Earth-1! It's pretty cool. I like The Flash and White Canary... Barry and Sara, I mean. It's weird calling them by their superhero names when I know their names and you know about me. Anyway, I like them the most. They're so friendly and cool and it's fun to finally have someone to talk to about having superpowers and being a superhero."

 

"Barry and Sara, huh?" Lena knows she shouldn't feel jealous because Kara isn't hers, and even if she is, she can have friends other than her. "Well, I'm glad you made friends with other superheroes. You need your own support system and network."

 

"That's what Oliver said too!" She smiles. "But I'll let you in a secret, Lena."

 

"Oh? What is it?"

 

Kara leans closer and suddenly Lena's nose is filled with the scent of strawberry and mango body wash. "You're still my favorite."

 

Lena feels like her heart is gonna leap out from her mouth. "You're my favorite, too. I'm sure your friends are cool, but you're cooler in my eyes."

 

"That's because you're biased." Kara blushes but she smiles happily.

 

"No, not at all. Like I said, you're my hero, Kara."

 

Lena is sure the sun above them is dimmer than Kara's smile toward her right now. "Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me. For someone to see me as Kara and not Supergirl... I'm so happy."

 

"That's their loss. While Supergirl is amazing and all, Kara is the one that touches people's hearts with her smiles and words."

 

"Thank you, Lena. Really, thank you. You're the bestest friend a girl can ask."

 

Friend. That word again. Lena starts to hate it, but she'd rather be Kara's friend than not have her at all. "What are friends for?"

 

Kara squeezes their joined hands, and Lena is pretty sure that, alternate universe or not, they can get through this as long as they are together.

 

"Lena?"

 

Her blood turns to ice when she hears that familiar voice. She turns her head slowly to the person calling her, afraid to confirm it.

 

"Veronica?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing from Lena's POV so much. She's so extra and gay and it suits my aesthetics tbh.
> 
> On a random note, if you want some (alright, heavy. Think Godzilla-weight heavy) angst plus crack pairing rolled into one, you should read littlelamplight's new angst baby, [talk to me, like lovers do](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10492788). Be careful though as it deals with abuse, so it might be triggering. But it's worth it and dare I say, healing, as you reach the end. 
> 
> You might ask, "Vallern, it's cool and all, but what's the pairing?" Well guess what lads: it's Lillian and Lara. That's right folks, Lex's and Lena's mother with Superman's mother. Cracky? Obviously. Amazing? She made me fall into yet another crack pairing, like it wasn't enough that I'm into majorly judging you because of her. Her Lillian is 1000% more complex than the SG writers could ever dream of. Then again, they're the very same team of writers that tried to sell Kara*** to us...
> 
> Tl;dr go read her fic (all of her fics, tbh) because it's amazing and it'll break your heart and heal it at the same time.
> 
> Also, I'm like dropping hints about my [tumblr](http://lordslacker.tumblr.com). I want you to follow my tumblr.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uploading this from beyond my grave because I'm already deceased when I think about the cuddle tomorrow.

Kara nearly leaps in front of Lena to protect her from Veronica – no, Roulette – but Lena grabs her arm before she can even stand up.

 

"Veronica, what the hell are you doing here?" Kara can hear Lena's heartbeat and how it beats faster than usual, but slower than when they started to hold hands.

 

It's really, really unsettling to see Roulette with hair loose, red flannel, dark skinny jeans, and black boots. She looks normal, like she's just another ordinary woman and not a criminal mastermind behind alien cage fighting and slave trafficking. And the way Lena says her name... Kara doesn't know why, but she doesn't like it.

 

"Well, look who's here. Aren't you on the wrong side of the track right now?"

 

"What's it to you?" Lena asks coolly. Kara admires her composure even though the brunette's hand is starting to get clammy.

 

Roulette raises an eyebrow. "Why so hostile?"

 

Lena sighs and rubs her forehead. "Sorry. I have a headache and I didn't get much sleep last night."

 

"Alright. No need to explain further." Kara nearly chokes when she sees how gently Roulette looks at Lena. "Besides, I see you brought your wife for a walk. Hey, Kara. What the hell are you wearing?"

 

Wait, what?

 

"What did you say?" Kara blurts out.

 

"I said what the hell are you wearing? Is this some sort of cosplay or roleplay or something? I have to say, you're pretty ballsy for doing this in public if this is a roleplay." Roulette laughs.

 

"I- we-"

 

"Jealous, Ve?" Lena interrupts Kara's stammer.

 

"You wish," she scoffs. "Did you forget who taught you all of those?"

 

This time, Kara actually chokes. What the hell?! What kind of relationship did Roulette and Lena have?! Even though this is not the Roulette from her universe, it still makes Kara reel from the implication that this universe's Lena and Roulette were lovers, and apparently she and Lena are married here?!

 

This is way too much in such little time.

 

Lena squeezes Kara's hand and it serves as a reminder that she's not alone. Thank Rao for that. If she were alone, who knows what she'd do? Fly to the DEO and scare everyone, probably. Apparently, this universe doesn't have Supergirl, and there's a big chance there are no superhumans around.

 

"Oh c'mon, Ve, still clinging to the past, huh?"

 

How can Lena be this calm? Kara knows how level-headed and manipulative the CEO could be, but this is a whole other level. Who can banter with their ex from a different universe as if they're the same person? Only Lena Luthor, apparently.

 

"You make it hard for me to forget, tamago."

 

"Tamago?" Kara asks, unable to hold her curiosity back.

 

"I thought I told you already? She liked tamagoyaki a lot when we were in high school, and somehow, it stuck until now."

 

At the mention of food, Kara's stomach growls loudly.

 

"What? It's lunchtime, and I didn't eat a lot of breakfast this morning!" she says defensively at Lena's and Roulette's amused look. It's true, thought. Three plates of pancakes were not an adequate breakfast for her, thank you.

 

"Do you want to go get lunch? It's been a long time since we hung out together."

 

Okay, so apparently not only is Roulette Lena's ex, she's also on good terms with the two of them. Are they criminals in this universe or something?!

 

"What do you think, Kara?" Lena then mutters something under her breath, low enough so Roulette can't hear it, but loud enough for her super hearing to pick it up. "We can find out more from her if we play our cards right. Just play along, alright?"

 

Kara is torn. She of course wants to find out more about this universe, but through lunch with Roulette? Who is this universe's Lena's ex? Can't they find out through another way?

 

(She doesn't even know why she's so fixated on the fact that Roulette is Lena's ex-

 

There she goes, thinking about it again.

 

Stupid Roulette.)

 

"Uh, okay. But, um..." Kara curses herself for always postponing Winn's offer to add hidden pockets to her suit, so she really doesn't have anything other than the measly $20 in her left boots as emergency money, and she doesn't know which one is worse: using her unkempt money from her boots or asking for Roulette to pay. Both are really embarrassing. She hopes Lena brought some sort of money with her, so she can borrow it and gives it back when they get back to their original universe.

 

If they can get back.

 

Kara shudders at the possibility of being stuck in this universe forever and tries to focus on the present.

 

"We didn't bring anything with us. Can you, ah, pay for us? I'll pay you back later, when we get home."

 

Home. Do they even have a home in this universe?

 

Wait, they're married, and apparently the Luthors are still a prominent family (judging from the horrifying headline about Lex and Ms. Grant), so she guesses that part won't be a problem.

 

"Wow, you two certainly are serious in your roleplay. That's admirable, but not really safe," she chides. "What if something happens and you don't have your phones and money? I thought you're smarter than that, Lena."

 

"Are you worried? Going soft on me, are you?" Lena smirks.

 

"As if." Roulette snorts. "Well, fine, I'll pay for you both this time."

 

"Thanks, Ve." Lena's eyes soften, and it dawns on Kara that she never really sees Lena like this with other people, and to see her being soft and playful with someone other than her...

 

It stings.

 

"Yeah, yeah."

 

Stupid Roulette.

 

* * *

 

Kara is both impressed and annoyed with how well Lena gets along with Roulette.

 

They're in a small diner together, and Kara feels like she's third-wheeling them. Lena laughs and flirts a little, and Roulette of course flirts back, and it really makes Kara wish Roulette was not this... well, she can't believe she's going to use nice as a descriptor for a slave trafficker, but yeah. She is nice, and Kara hates her for it.

 

They're laughing again about something (she tuned them out when Roulette and Lena started to trade sarcastic endearments 20 minutes ago) when she feels a light touch on her hand. "Are you okay, Kara?" Lena asks quietly. Kara stops stabbing her fries moodily when the brunette strokes the back of her hand.

 

"I've never seen you quiet for more than five minutes," Roulette adds.

 

"Sorry," Kara says, not feeling sorry at all. In fact, she feels a petty sort of victory when Lena finally shifts her full attention to her. "It's just that, um, work has been busy, and I- well, you know how it is." She smiles nervously. She doesn't really know how to manipulate people, and she really hates lying, and even though her side job in spandex requires her to do so, it doesn't mean that she likes doing it.

 

"Well, no, I don't know, actually. I'm not a painter." The tall woman chuckles. "Do you have some sort of artist's block or something? A client being a pain in the ass?"

 

Oh. This universe's Kara is a painter. She didn't expect that.

 

"Kind of, yeah. I'm just stuck, I guess." She shrugs. While she likes painting, it's never been her passion, but it's nice to know that this Kara is an artist. A little voice whispers, _how the hell you can provide for Lena if you're just an artist,_ before Kara mentally shuts it up.

 

"I don't know anything about it, but maybe you can hang out with Jamie to get your inspiration back?"

 

"Jamie?" Lena interrupts. Roulette frowns before nodding at her.

 

"Yeah. She'll be back this Saturday from Vienna because Joan missed her. Well, so do I, but don't tell her that. She'll get even more big-headed than usual."

 

Lena looks paler than usual, which is impressive given how pale her normal complexion is. "You're with _Jamie?_ "

 

Roulette blinks. "And Joan. Why are you so surprised? You're the one that introduced the three of us two years ago. Honestly, what's wrong with you, Lena? For that matter, you too, Kara. Are you sick? Drunk? High? Why are you so weird today?"

 

Lena rubs her temple. "I guess I forgot."

 

Roulette looks at her strangely. "What? How? You went to lunch last month with us, Lena. Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

 

Kara feels bad when she sees how pale Lena is. She grabs the brunette's free hand and rubs her thumb on Lena's palm, hoping to bring Lena some comfort.

 

Lena gives her a small smile and then sighs. "Sorry, Ve, I have a headache. I- _we_ ," she emphasizes, looking at Kara, "have to go home."

 

"Yeah, you look sick. You should get some rest," Roulette says while pulling out her wallet. "C'mon, I'll give you a ride."

 

Kara and Lena trade a relieved look. At least this way, they don't have to wander around looking for a place to sleep.

 

"Thanks, Veronica," Kara says, because Roulette in this universe is oddly nice, and even though she's a terrible person in their original universe, Kara feels she has to give credit when it's due. "For everything."

 

"Anytime, Kara."

 

* * *

 

Roulette looks like she wants to say something snarky when Lena chooses to sit behind with Kara, but she keeps it to herself, a fact that Kara is grateful for because of how tired Lena looks. The green-eyed woman is asleep with her head on Kara's shoulder, and the only sound in the car is Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia playing on low volume.

_Alex's punk band is still here, and they have the same song, yet Lex Luthor is free and dating Cat Grant. This world is oddly inconsistent._

 

Kara spends the entire ride looking at the sky through the windows and trying not to move around too much so Lena would be comfortable. At least they're still on Earth, which is reassuring, somehow. She wouldn’t know how to react if this universe had two moons, for example. Or two suns. Or a gaping green hole in the sky. Or-

 

"Hey, we're here."

 

"What? Oh!" They've arrived in a parking lot near the beach. "We're here already?"

 

"Damn, Kara, I know you're always some sort of a space cadet, but today you're even worse. Don't tell me you don't remember your apartment number?"

 

"Um..."

 

Roulette stares at her. "Are you sure you're okay? I think I need to take the two of you to the doctor instead."

 

"Oh no, no need! We're fine!" Kara shakes her head. "It's just... there's a lot going on, and..."

 

"Trouble in paradise?"

 

"Um, no, not like that..."

 

"Really? Because usually you two can't keep your hands off each other. It's disgusting sometimes. Yet back at the diner you two were... distant. Not even a peck. I'm surprised."

 

Kara laughs nervously. "We decided to tone it down a bit?" Her voice goes higher, like it usually does when she's lying or nervous or both.

 

Roulette shrugs exaggeratedly. "You know, what's going on in your marriage isn't my business, and neither is Lena's life," Kara can practically hear the unsaid _anymore_ , "but whatever it is, talk to her. She deserves the best, Kara, and you make her happy. The happiest she's ever been." They're looking at the sleeping Lena, and Kara finds herself nods solemnly.

 

"I will, Veronica."

 

"Good." She smiles slightly. "Now wake up the sleeping beauty. I have to be somewhere."

 

Kara manages to refrain from snarking about Roulette's criminal activities, but this woman is not Roulette. She's Veronica. "Alright, we'll see you later?"

 

"Call me when the two of you are back from whatever drugs you used earlier." She waves her hand lazily. "Now off you go."

 

Kara has half a mind to carry Lena, but she's guessing that her other self isn't a super strong woman, so she shakes Lena gently to wake her up. Lena blinks blearily, and Kara has to hide a smile because of how cute Lena looks like when she just wakes up.

 

"What? Where are we?"

 

"Your apartment, weirdos. It's that building and door number 619, by the way. Now get out."

 

"Thanks, Ve." Lena kisses Roulette's cheek.

 

"Anytime, tamago."

 

"Let's go," the brunette mumbles to the frozen Kara.

 

Just when she thinks Roulette is a good person, she has to ruin it again by playing buddy-buddy with Lena. Kara sighs and tries to shove away her annoyance, and opens the door.

 

They walk across the street to what looks like a shabby-looking apartment, ignoring funny looks from passersby. It doesn't even have gates or doors, just straight up stairs to different buildings in a complex. It looks more like a motel than an apartment, but who is Kara to judge where her other self lives?

 

They climb up the first stairs on the left that they see and find 619 right after. Apparently, it doesn't mean floor 6 and room 19. Weird.

 

"Kara?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"How are we gonna get in?"

 

"Uh." Kara blinks. She could just force the door open, but... "Hang on," she says while pushing the door softly.

 

Much to Kara's surprise, the door is unlocked. It opens slightly with a small creak, and she and Lena share a worried look.

 

Well, whatever or whoever they will face, they will face it together.

 

"Ready?" Kara asks quietly.

 

Lena nods and joins their hands together.

 

With a deep breath, Kara pushes open the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearly two months without an update... I have no excuses other than laziness, don't have time, depression, writer's block, and distracted like hell. 
> 
> I also watched Wonder Woman twice and now is in Diana/Isabel hell. I need more fics about them.

The first thing Lena sees when she steps inside is the words 'Live Love Laugh' written on the wall.

_Wow, my other self has a terrible taste in quotes,_ she thinks, but it's quickly replaced by a pang of jealousy when she remembers her other self married Kara. Well, the other Kara. The cheesy quote on the wall screams Kara, if the other Kara has the same personality as her Kara.

... God, that's so confusing.

Kara closes the door behind them and Lena looks around to see that the small apartment is actually not that shabby as the building would suggest. It's a one room apartment with no walls between kitchen and living room, and it has the mixture of warm and dark colors, and Lena can see two doors side-by-side from where she stands on the living room, with one of the doors slightly open. There are two black couches with red and yellow throw pillows on it near the sliding door to the balcony, and Lena is willing to bet that the yellow pillow is another of Kara's influences. There's a small TV on the corner of the wall and a PS4.

She wonders who plays it the most, her other self or the other Kara? Or both of them playing together?

However, the one thing that stops her is a picture on the wall. A picture of her dreams that she wouldn't even think of in the daylight, but right now staring at her, mocking her.

A wedding picture of Kara and her.

_Well,_ she thinks blandly, _nice to know at least a version of me has Kara._

Lena feels pleased to see that her other self is an unashamed punk, even in her wedding day. Her other self has her head shaved on both sides, piercings, and a lot of jewelries and what's even better, she's wearing suits. Mother (well, hers, not the other Lena's) will have a stroke if she sees this. She wonders if the other Lena's mother approved.

All of her thoughts vanish when she sees Kara... well, the other Kara, besides her in a wedding dress, looking so radiant and beautiful. She looks like exactly like her Kara (oh, how she wishes Kara was hers) in all aspects except that the other blonde is thinner and not muscular at all.

But oh, her smile. So bright and soft and gorgeous, and for a moment Lena allows herself to fantasize about it being her and Kara in that picture, not her other self and other Kara.

"Oh."

Kara's soft exclamation breaks her little fantasy. "Kara?"

"Um, I know Roulette said our other selves are married, but..." Lena is hyperaware of Kara's body heat beside her. If she leans to the right, even just an inch, their shoulders will be brushing together. "But, um, you know, I didn't expect it to be..." she trails off.

"Real?" Lena offers.

Kara nods. "It's just strange to see the proof, you know? Hard to believe that we're married in an universe. I-I mean, not that I'm disappointed or against it or anything! It's just, um, not something I ever thought about before."

Lena knows she shouldn't be hurt that Kara never pictured them together romantically, but she couldn't stop the hurt seeping into her words. "I see."

"I bet you're a catch, though! So does your other self!" Kara smiles, oblivious to Lena's pain. "I can't believe the other Lena is a punk. It's weird compared to your style, but she looks good."

"And I know you're a catch too, Kara. So is your other self. My other self is lucky to get her." When in doubt, flirt. That's Lena's motto, and it works wonderfully as her compliment makes Kara blush. "And the other me as a punk is not actually that weird. I _was_ a punk from high school through undergrad."

"Wait, what? Really?!"

"Yeah. I dyed my hair pink and green and I had a lot of piercings, just like her." Lena nods to the picture.

"Lena Luthor with pink hair and piercings? Now that's an image."

"A good one, I hope."

The Kryptonian blushes. "It is. Did you shave your hair too?"

"Mm-hm. Just one side though, and it freaked my mother out, so it was pretty awesome." Lena smirks, the memory of Lillian's face when she saw Lena's appearance was so satisfying.

"Wow, who knew young Lena Luthor was rebellious?"

"Well, now you know. All this talk about my punk phase makes me miss it." She chuckles.

"Do you still have them? The piercings, I mean."

"I do. Sometimes I even wear them."

"How come I've never seen them?" Kara tilts her head.

"Who says anything about them being in a visible place?"

"Wha—oh! Oh!" Lena wonders if someone could die from too much blushing. Right now, Kara is redder than her own cape, and that's saying something. "Wow," she whispers.

"Why are you blushing? What kind of place are you thinking of?"

"Um... uh..."

"Why, Ms. Danvers, get your mind out of the gutter." Lena is having too much fun teasing Kara like this.

"What? No! I—"

"Or maybe you're right?" She waggles her eyebrows. Kara sputters.

"Lena!"

"What? I'm just saying."

"You... ugh!" The brunette wants to pinch the pouting blonde's cheeks for being too cute. "So... where is it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Lena!"

"Buy me dinner first, Kara. I'm not _that_ easy."

"I have, like, 20 bucks, I can't buy you anything fancy."

Lena is delighted that Kara is playing along with her instead of being weirded out by her (mostly joking) request for dinner. "I'll accept pizza."

"Pizza dinner? Sign me up!" She says cheerfully.

"It's a date," Lena murmurs. Kara blinks for a second, but then she nods enthusiastically.

"It's a date!"

That went well.

 

* * *

 

They're sitting on the couch that faces the balcony, staring at the sky outside. No one makes a move or starts the conversation, but Lena can feel the blonde beside her thinking, judging from the frown between her eyebrows that Lena sees when she steals a glance towards Kara.

"What's wrong?" Lena whispers.

Kara blinks like she's startled by the sudden question. "Nothing." She shakes her head.

"You know you can tell me everything, right?"

"I know." The blonde smiles weakly. "I just... well..." She clears her throat. "Thanks, Lena. If it wasn't for your quick thinking and good acting when Roulette found us, who knows what will happen?"

Ah. "It wasn't that hard."

"What do you mean?"

"In our original universe, back before everything went to hell with Lex and Superman..." Lena trails off. "We were... ah, together, for quite a time."

"Wait, seriously?" Kara gapes a little.

Lena nods. "For a few years, actually. We went to the same boarding school, as you know, and things just developed, I guess. I never even thought it would survive when we graduated, but it did, somehow. Even Mother liked her." She sighs. "She was so disappointed when we broke up. I think she expected Veronica to be her daughter-in-law or something."

"Wow, _that_ serious?"

"Right? It was unexpected for me, too. Veronica wasn't that bad, back then. She got along with Mother and Lex, and were my father still alive at that time, he'd like her too. She had this charm about her that makes people like her. Well, some people anyway. She also had a lot of enemies. But even so, things were perfect."

Kara's face is unreadable, and if Lena dares to be presumptuous, she'd say Kara is jealous.

"So... uh, if you don't mind me asking, why did you two break up then? You said things were perfect."

"Well, one of the reasons why Veronica got along well with my mother and Lex was because she wasn't too fond of aliens. I think she found them scary, but it wasn't that bad other than a few grumblings here and there. I didn't think about it that much since at that point I had never come in contact with aliens and thus I never really thought about it." Lena sighs. "But one day, Superman crashed into a building while fighting off his enemies of the week. It was pretty bad; he basically tore off half of the building from the impact. There were a lot of casualties, Kara." She bites her lips. "Veronica's uncle was one of them. He was crushed under some of the rubble. It took them three days to reassemble pieces of him to be recognized."

"Oh my God..."

"Yeah. Since then, her anti-alien rhetorics were getting worse and worse and it really bothered me. She blamed Superman for that. I suppose in a way, she was justified, but it was an accident. It's not like he asked to be thrown into a building. I'd understand if she hated him, but to hate all aliens because of what one alien did? It was stupid, and we got into countless arguments because of that. She never liked that I was neutral about aliens, but I never thought it'll be the reason we broke up." Lena's smile is bitter from that particular old wound. "Then one day she looked at me in the eyes and told me that we were over. Just like that." She inhales deeply. "I was planning to propose to her that day, Kara."

"Oh, Lena..." Kara puts an arm around Lena's shoulder and pulls her close.

Lena doesn't cry, not really, but between the stress of universe jumping, meeting the gentle Veronica that she admittedly misses sometimes, and Kara's warmth, Lena feels herself tear up a bit.

Then Kara strokes her hair and the dam just breaks.

Lena has always been a silent crier; a trait that she mastered at the tender age of six out of necessity. She doesn't like to think about Lillian's glares when she let out as much as a whimper if she got hurt. Eventually, she just sucked it up and learned to toughen up.

But with Kara holding her like this, whispering soft assurances in her ear while letting that strong, hand-carved by the God shoulder to be soaked by Lena's tears?

She just loses it.

Lena sobs and sobs and sobs on Kara's shoulder. She can feel her dignity crumbling, but right now, she doesn't care. Right now, all she cares about is this warm, loving blonde who holds her so tenderly as if she's afraid Lena will break if she holds her too tight, both figuratively and literally.

She loses sense of how long she's been crying on Kara's shoulder, but she feels the tears finally stop flowing and now she feels embarrassed for showing how vulnerable she is to the woman she loves. She knows Kara wouldn't think less of her just because she had a breakdown, but that doesn't mean she likes it either.

"Hey." Kara's voice is low and gentle, like she's trying to coax a scared animal to come out of its hiding place. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry it happened to you, but at the very least, you have me, you know?"

With great hesitation, Lena lifts her (tear-streaked, probably looks like a sad raccoon) face from Kara's shoulder. "Don't say it like you're a consolation prize, Kara. You're the first prize in my life."

_Okay, Luthor, what the fuck._

Thankfully, Kara just laughs at that. "That was really cheesy."

"As cheesy as that pizza dinner you promised me, I hope." She smirks.

"Oh, you want me to order pizza now?"

"Sure, why not. Crying took a lot of energy, and I'm starving."

"Alright, how about you go shower and I'll order the pizza? No offense, but you look like you need it."

Lena rubs her cheeks and snorts when her fingers comes back black. "Fine, but I'm offended. Make it extra cheese for me."

"Yes, ma'am!" Kara lazily salutes her. Lena shakes her head and heads to the bathroom when she hears a phone ringing somewhere in the apartment.

They both freeze. Who the hell would call them?

Except that it's probably someone from the other Lena's or Kara's lives. Great. She's not prepared for round two of talking to people that she doesn't really know. Veronica was a miracle, honestly, since her personality was just like the young Veronica she knew, but what about the others?

Her inner freak out is interrupted when Kara half-runs to the kitchen and grabs an old, battered Samsung from the top of the fridge (who the hell puts a phone on top of a fridge?) and her eyes widen when she sees the screen.

"Kara?"

"It's-it's Alex." She whispers, eyes still glued to the screen like it's going to jump off to eat her face.

"Are you gonna answer that?"

"Should I?" Kara turns panicking eyes to her and Lena swallows. If Lex called her right now, could she answer?

"I... I think you should, if you're up to it. Wouldn't it be weird for her if you don't pick up?"

Kara bites her lips. "Okay."

Without realizing it, her hand finds Kara's, and to her surprise, Kara's hand is cold and clammy. The blonde smiles weakly at her and squeezes their joined hands tightly before answering the call.

"H-hello?"

If it wasn't such a dire situation right now, Lena would've laughed at the comical size of Kara's eyes right now. The taller woman looks like she just stared Death right in the eyes.

"Aunt Astra?!"

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes, I'm on [tumblr](http://lordslacker.tumblr.com).
> 
> (Just kidding, I'm pretty much there almost every day. That hellsite is a quicksand.)


End file.
